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Looking for a new Lathe 12x7?

I have a soft spot for buying used machines. You can get more for your money, asuming that it is thoroughly checked out. If you go new. Go as big as your wallet and space allow. the average new machine is less rigid than a similar sized one 20 years ago.

for instance a quick kijiji search for 'metal lathe' just now turned up a 7 X 12 King metal lathe for 999.00 If you wait for the right one, you could get a 10 X 30 Enco for about 1200 dollars...
 
Food For thought, Thanks.

My max budget is $1300 so that king fits well within my budget. I will keep an eye out on Kijiji.
 
There have been SB 9A lathes here that sold for about that much, so lathes do come up from time to time...
 
Richard Tymko said:
So I just sold my Sherline 4530 lathe with a milling attachment.
Now to go shopping for a bigger one, or what I consider bigger...

Im looking for thoughts, feedback and suggestions on the
KING CANADA
7" x 12" Mini Metal Lathes
https://www.tenaquip.com/product/king-canada-7-x-12-mini-metal-lathes-kc-0712ml-teb019

Thanks
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I'll defer to others here WRT old vs. new—although I am sure it is correct that the old ones are more rigid. If you can't wait and do buy new, I've actually had good success with King. They are still overseas models, but they are the only Asian manufacturer that stocks replacement parts for all of its machines in Canada. I talked for quite a while to their head office in Quebec before I bought a big horizontal bandsaw from them, and they were great.

When I win 649 my dream shop will have an 1960s model South Bend in it as well as a Bridgeport knee mill. More importantly it will have room to turn around in. That would be nice.
 
Dabbler said:
Go as big as your wallet and space allow....
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What Dabbler said.... get the biggest machine you can afford and have space for. A 7X12 will get stale real fast. Bigger and Better used machines are out there, you just have to keep looking for the right deal. I got my 9 X 22 Utilathe for less than a K and it's 10 times the machine my 7X12 was.
 
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CalgaryPT said:
I've actually had good success with King. They are still overseas models, but they are the only Asian manufacturer that stocks replacement parts for all of its machines in Canada. I talked for quite a while to their head office in Quebec before I bought a big horizontal bandsaw from them, and they were great.
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Welllll ..... I wish my experience with King Quebec was as good. I think I called them about 5 or 6 times over the years with my King 14x40 lathe & King RF45 mill. I had to badger them to return a call, no effort on their part to see if they could source a part. I remember was ready to send them money for a taper attachment & they guy just couldn't figure out what was required because they either sold the lathe with or without pre-mounted from factory, that's all he knew. I even faxed him the manual PN's. Just basically brain dead. I can understand if it the machine was like 10 years old & model outdated, but at the time they still sold the same dang machine.

I bought my machines in '98 actually through Modern Tool Calgary when they were a King distributor, before they went Asia factory direct with their own lines. Get this, a couple years ago (that makes it +20 years after purchase & they had zero vested interest), Modern was able to use their Taiwan connections & get me parts that aren't even produced anymore & the factory is long gone. They combined the shipping & broker stuff with one of their ongoing shipments so it was very reasonable.

Anyways, its a good point to bear in mind. Wherever you buy from, try & get a warm & fuzzy that parts could be available if the time comes. New machines cost more up front but you stand a better chance. Older machines cost less but if its relatively common model, used parts could still be readily available as long as it isn't big iron shipping wise. I hear good things about PM & Grizzly but unfortunately both in the States.
 
Parts availability is reason for preferring big names like SB 9A and Enco. Parts are available even if they aren't made any more...

My new lathe has a problem with parts: blackmail. The company that bought all the 'new old stock' parts is charging an arm and a leg and firstborn for every part...
 
Dabbler said:
My new lathe has a problem with parts: blackmail. The company that bought all the 'new old stock' parts is charging an arm and a leg and firstborn for every part...
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What make is that John? I'm finding parts availability for my Standard Modern to be non existent apart from the odd parts machine being offered up for sale.
 
1979 LeBlond. The company went insolvent, and someone bought their parts operation lock and stock. They want 600$US for a change gear, one that can be locally hobbed for about 80$ or Wire EDM cut for 300$CDN... I think a bolt must be 50$ :mad:

Interestingly enough, all LeBlond lathes 13" and under were made by Standard Modern... I thought that SM is still in business?
 
If you are into new machines you can get bigger lathe such as 7 x 14 or even 7 x 16 new from the internet via eBay directly from China. I did not check prices recently but with shipping and all fees it should be around 1000 or less for 7 x 14 model (not much less).

I would think that 7 x 10 (actually like 7 x 8) and 7 x 12 are mostly obsolete given no price difference against super mini lathes. All they do is extend the bed a bit for minimal extra cost and weight.

In case you wonder why you need extra bed length it does not seem to hurt in machine of this size and can be useful especially when drilling.

As for used machines yes I would look into that market - if you have space for one. However, this fuzzy place is full of mines you can step into and a 1000 budget is rather small. 1ph small hobby machines go for very good money! Some people love old clapped out US made machines and pay fortune for these - remember price to what you get ratio - everything has its price as well as value - value to you may be less then other people. On auctions things can get bent out of shape quick and sometimes for stuff it is better to go kajiji or even get it off eBay. Heck I was shocked when a used 1ph 3hp small table knee mill went on auction for 8600 CAD in Reddeer last week! I just sold similar machine for $4000 two months ago. For less then $8000 you can get same machine BRAND NEW to your door delivered! Same COO (China or Taiwan). So beware of deals. I saw used stuff go for up to 3x price of new (same exact item).

If you like warranty Precision Mathews sells same knee mill with power feed for 8600 CAD plus taxes and delivery...
 
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I think the moral here is that times change and with it customer service and quality. I just got back from Princess Auto a few minutes ago. I like that store. Lots of crap to be sure, but no hassle customer service and their ProPoint line is much better than their PowerFist. Having said this, I'm sure it is only a matter of time before the Americans buy it out and ruin it like so many other Canadian companies.

My wife just got off the phone with The Bay over undelivered packages and an online mess-up. Years ago The Bay would bend over backwards for you, then they got bought out. My wife got told, "Well that's too bad. I guess that concludes our conversation."

Maybe I got lucky with King Canada and my saw. I'll never really know until I try to order parts I suppose.

When I am in charge of the planet I intend to criminalize poor customer service :p
 
PA is one of the few Canadian companies that has excellent customer service. All other companies with excellent service are US based - such as Amazon - or exist only on US market.

Most standard products from China / Taiwan have interchangeable parts so I would get the item from the cheapest supplier and ignore any claims of "warranty" or "service" unless you really know company well.
 
My wife just got off the phone with The Bay over undelivered packages and an online mess-up. Years ago The Bay would bend over backwards for you, then they got bought out. My wife got told, "Well that's too bad. I guess that concludes our conversation."

I haven’t shopped at the bay since 1980 I got peed off trying to find a salesperson to take my coin from me. Sears went the same route, they had people to work the till but would rather talk amongst themselves I don’t know how many tines I turned around and left, a shame really because I really liked the Craftsman line of tools.
 
Tom O said:
I haven’t shopped at the bay since 1980 I got peed off trying to find a salesperson to take my coin from me. Sears went the same route, they had people to work the till but would rather talk amongst themselves I don’t know how many tines I turned around and left, a shame really because I really liked the Craftsman line of tools.
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Agreed. That would drive me nuts too.

I know people like/liked Craftsman tools, and good for them. I had a Craftsman Driftbreaker 3 stage snowblower in the 1970s and loved it. But I fear things have changed. The Driftbreaker was the last tool I ever liked from them. Not that I am an expert on Craftsman—but I always questioned the decision to buy a socket wrench from a store that sold lingerie in the next aisle.
 
Yep lingerie and gear pullers don’t mix!
I just found Craftsman a comfortable fit when reefing on them Snap on is thinner putting more pressure in a 3/16 strip across the fingers.
 
Yup. And less expensive than Snap On. Their rulers are for $25 I hear.

And then there is Busy Bee, who—on their home page—references their "sister" company Age Comfort, which sells medical supples such as urinals, bedpans, and colostomy supplies.

I don't get it.

Suddenly lingerie in a tool store is the better option.
 
Maybe they think only old people deal with metal and wood hobbies?

In case anyone wants to look Age Comfort is on the home page of BB at the bottom right.
 
CalgaryPT said:
the decision to buy a socket wrench from a store that sold lingerie in the next aisle.
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Craig
 
Not sure how this thread went from lathes to colostomy bags and George Costanza, but I know I played a part. Sorry :oops:.
 
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